Variable
by LaLaLaLoud
Summary: Just a little attempt at lightweight character development. This is not a romance fic, it is a repost with some changes that needed to be implemented. Please read and review. (Oneshot, rated T for mild language)


**A/N: Okay, so I've finally decided that this story will remain a oneshot, considering I'm trying to concentrate on writing something else, and the idea of having to finish this as a multichapter story only slows down everything. Please, read thoroughly and review; this is my first story and I really want to improve as a writer. I'll even accept a flame if it helps me write better. If you find anything worthy of mention, be it a misspelling, grammar fault, ANYTHING, I would really appreciate it if you told me. Thank you in advance.**

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It was a rather cold winter day. Christmas had just gone by, and we were yet to go to Koizumi's Mystery Tour. Damn, it was cold. Anyway, school had past as normal, the always-confused Okabe-sensei had to spend a good minutes arguing, no, getting his ass verbally kicked by the girl that had complicated my life so much in the past year - Suzumiya Haruhi. She wanted to decorate our classroom for New Year, now, that would not be a problem, if it were anyone else, but Haruhi wanted do paint murals or something as ludicrous as that. I think I heard something about "the true evil side of Santa" or something. Whatever it is, I don't think it would be anywhere near acceptable in a classroom - no, in a goddamn high school anywhere in the world. I've seen the drafts for the wall paintings she had done in class. We had a surprise test in Physics and whilst I was struggling with the first problem, she already finished the damn thing. Pf, I see that the gods, if any exist, don't really care about just desserts. She's (un)surprisingly good at anything she does, be it physics, cooking or tossing ornate daggers, she excelled in it. As long as it was interesting in some and any way. Anyway, the draft looked like a crash/hybrid between Santa Claus, a ninja and a stereotypical Russian soldier. I sincerely apologize to any actual Russian soldier she probably offended with such an image.

As I was making my way towards the clubroom, that idiot Taniguchi turned up out of nowhere.

"Hey, Kyon, y'know what?" I still can't believe that nickname had spread so fast, like a wildfire hitting a briquette store.

"I got a date with another girl in Kouyoen!" Do I look like I even remotely care? He probably picked up on the unnerved look on my face.

"You could be a little more supportive of your friends!" Huh, isn't that what I have been doing all year? Supporting my friends? Nagato, and, ok, Haruhi, fine, to an extent even Koizumi, and of course the lovely Asashina-san!

"Kyon, dude, that Suzumiya virus is seriously getting to you. Get away from me, before I get infected too." And with those words, the village idiot left me pretty much in front of the Literature Club's room, now completely overtaken by the SOS Brigade headquarters. It reminded me of History class - the Bosnian Annexation Crisis. Basically, the Austro-Ugric Monarchy just said "You belong to us now. Nobody cares what you have to say about that." I was pretty sure that Haruhi actually wanted to go to war with the Student Council. And, of course, I would be caught in the trenches.

Knocking lightly on the clubroom door, I heard the light voice that made my heart flutter, belonging to the SOS Brigade's maid and resident angel.

"Come in~"

As I walked into the clubroom, I was met with a familiar sight: Asahina-san brewing the heavenly elixir, locally known as "tea", and Nagato reading some doorstop tome with maybe a few thousand pages, surprisingly, Koizumi and Haruhi haven't come yet, even though Taniguchi had intercepted my way towards the room.

"Kyon-kun, would you like some tea? I bought some new tea leaves today, I don't know what they're like, so..." Oh, even lye would taste like heaven if it passed through the hands of the time-traveling belle. As expected, the tea was amazing.

In time, neither Haruhi nor Koizumi showed up, so Nagato and I started getting ready to leave, so Asahina-san could have some privacy changing.

"Would you like to come over?" Erm, wait, what? Nagato?

"Would you like to come to my apartment?" The alien girl hadn't changed her facial expression nor her tone while uttering those two sentences. Hmm, the only reason Nagato would ask me to come to her apartment would be if there were a crisis in need of solving. Maybe the timequake fixing the previous events didn't go as planned? Was she worried about what her superiors might do to her?

Walking towards Nagato's apartment building was unsurprisingly silent. Snow started falling, very slowly, but in copious amounts. If this turns into a blizzard, I have no idea how will I get home. Eventually, we got to the finish line, Nagato's apartment. That empty place did give off a rather melancholic feel, but felt comforting now.

"Sit." As she said it, I obeyed.

"I will prepare some food for us" Ooookay, she wants to eat with me? You know, after meeting the human Nagato, I had started to notice that our Nagato was developing real emotions. And, logically, I was afraid that her first emotion would be loneliness. She deserves better. So, that was it. She was getting lonely. Poor girl... My thinking was interrupted by the interphone bell. Was she expecting someone else? Nagato's ghastly figure floated over to the interphone, slowly pressing the "Answer" button. A buzzing voice came through, from here, it was unidentifiable. I couldn't even tell was the gender of the speaker.

"Hey, Yuki, I just got back from school, I just finished with my extra classes. Oh, and I got that book you were asking for, ok, I'm coming up now!" Even if I could tell was that being even human, I could hear that it was rather energetic.

"Erm, Nagato, who was that?" Maybe it was another ally of hers? The image of Ryoko Asakura went through my head. I couldn't stand another assassination attempt.

"..." The silence was seriously visible. Okay.

That moment, the doorbell had rung. Nagato's spectral frame pretty much levitated to the door, opening it with surprising intensity.

"Come in."

The being that walked in was a girl our age. She was rather pretty from a far, Nagato's apartment is quite spacious. She wore blue jeans and a simple black shirt with a thick gray coat over. But, as she got closer, some details were appearing. The hair was long, straight and black, about the size of Asahina-san's hair, but that was the only thing this girl had in common with my angel. This girl was as flat as Nagato's floor. And she was a bit pale, too almost sickly pale. She had very powerful olive-green eyes, with bluish-purple bags under them, showing there wasn't much sleep. But, as she came closer, she spoke with a voice that was unmistakably male.

"I finally found that book you were looking for, I wasn't easy, might I tell you, oh, hello, are you a friend of Yuki's?" The boy (I was absolutely certain now) was a bit confused with my presence here, he must be aware of Yuki's asocial behavior as well.

"Yeah, I'm Ta-" "Oh, wait, you're Kyon, right? She's mentioned you before." Ugh, the nickname.

"I'm Hakusora Daichi, from class 1-9" Koizumi's class? The same class that disappeared within those three days?

"Hakusora-kun, do you know-" I was interrupted by a very cheerful laughter from this mysterious individual.

"Please, Kyon, my name is Daichi, I loathe the whole 'respect' shit." Straightforward, isn't he? A bit rude there, though.

"Okay, Daichi, do you by any chance know a Koizumi Itsuki in your class?" But, again. it would be weird not to know him, considering they're in the same class.

"Itsuki? Um, I know him, nothing too friendly, just on a "hello" basis. They often pair us up in group activities in class, but that's about it. Why?" Because if you do, you just might be an esper, or even slider, we don't have that one yet.

"No reason, he's a friend." I guess being stuck with me in Haruhi's antics classifies him as a friend.

"Oh, Yuki, I have some stuffed peppers for dinner, I have a lot, should I bring it here?"

"If you wish." The black haired guy jumped up from the floor and ran out the door with a yell: "Be right baaaack!"

And so, Nagato and I sat there in the silence. Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me.

"Nagato, who is this guy?" If he's a potential Ryoko Asakura, I want to know.

"Or better yet, is he... an abnormal human being?" If he's with any other faction, I want to know that.

"You would not classify him as completely normal, according to some, he can be considered a deviation from the social norm" That is not exactly what I meant. Just because he has a strange personality doesn't make him an alien.

"But, he is mostly a normal human being, in terms of the 'supernatural'" Mostly? That's not a 'completely'.

"What is he, a slider?" He haven't had those yet.

"He possesses no abilities of dimension jumping." Hmm, then what?

"Does he have any special abilities? Any confusing events surrounding him?" Anything? He's Nagato's friend, he has to be important for the plot in some manner! He even has a name! He must be important!

"The Integrated Data Sentient Entity cannot predict his future actions." Eh?

"Also, he is not connected to the Macrospatial Quantum Existence. There is no obvious reason for the data extraction blockade."

Say what?

"Likewise, neither his actions nor his existence can be accounted for prior to the incident that had occurred this December." Wait, does that mean he didn't exist before you messed up the world?

"We are unsure of his importance concerning the situation around Suzumiya Haruhi." So, your job is to observe him as well?

"Yes. However, the Integrated Data Sentient Entity would not have noticed him if he had not interacted with me on his own accord." He approached you?

"If we were to observe the universe as the result of a functional equation, he would be one of the variables. However, Hakusora Daichi and Suzumiya Haruhi are not variables of the same powers." So he wasn't created by Haruhi?

"No." While I was immersed in thought, a loud knock came onto the door.

"Yuki, I'm back!" Daichi came into the room, holding an enormous container.

"I brought the peppers!" And a lot, from what I see. As we ate, conversation was mostly between Daichi and me, however, he was constantly trying to include Nagato as well. He seemed rather friendly towards her. I had time to observe him. What was his reason? I'm guessing he's a slider, but, no, they would've appeared by now. Hmm, maybe he's just an ordinary human... He was the loudest at the table, but I saw right through him. If I weren't here, he'd be much more timid. If he was eating alone, he'd be straight out depressed. He's putting up this mask to try and cheer Nagato up? Slowly, but steadily, our supper was putting itself to an end. When we finished, he gave Nagato the book, it was a typical Nagato doorstop. That thing could seriously be used as a projectile. Nagato accepted the book silently and placed in on the floor next to her foot.

"Well, I should probably get going, I need some shuteye after today." Hmm, imagine a tired Haruhi... Yeah, no. I got up as well, preparing to leave, while Nagato was just staring at us. We got out of the apartment, I waited for the elevator with Haku-no, wait, Daichi.

"So, how'd you meet Nagato? She's not the type to approach people." I could see a hint of discomfort with him.

"Hmm, it's a rather long story." I have time.

"Well, I don't. This is my floor. Bye, Kyon, hope to see you soon!" With those words, he ran out of the elevator.

Tomorrow at school, I saw that Haruhi did paint her mural after all. I will leave that to your imagination, because I really have no intention to describe such absurdities. School itself was boring as usual. The situation in the clubroom was pretty much the same. Asahina-san was in her usual maid outfit, Koizumi was playing some random board game I've never seen before, Nagato was reading another doorstop, which was actually the book Hakusora gave her. Haruhi wasn't here yet, so I took the opportunity to inquire about Hakusora.

"So, Koizumi, what's up with that Hakusora guy in your class?"

"Hm? Hakusora Daichi? Why?" Because he just might be a slider.

"I doubt that he is one. Wouldn't have Suzumiya-san brought him into the SOS Brigade at the start of the year like she did us?" Hmm, he does have a point there.

"What's he like, is there anything special about him?"

"No, I don't think there's anything supernatural around him, if that's what you're asking. He is rather intelligent, but very quiet and timid in class. He doesn't have many friends." Okay, but what do you know about HIM?

"Not much now that I think about it, I-" Suddenly, Koizumi went silent with a perplexed look on his face.

"What?" He suddenly got very worried.

"Hmm, I can't... seem to remember..." Remember what?

"Him. I can't remember anything about him prior to this December. December 18th, specifically." December 18th... So Nagato has something to do with his sudden appearance.

"We all act like he's been here from day 1, and he possesses knowledge of events that occurred in our class before December, but... I can't seem to remember him then and there. Maybe it's because I've been around Suzumiya-san too much?" Hmm, so he's been written into this world on December 18th.

"Nagato, do you know anything about his sudden appearance in this world?" She silently looked up from the book, stared at me and just said three little words that were so unusual for her, yet, sadly, expected from her eventually.

"I was lonely."


End file.
